Somewhere to Turn
by JJLove28
Summary: After a tramatic attack, Hermione is left suffering and alone, unable to confide in anyone, not even Harry or Ron. Soon she finds herself turning away from the ones who have always loved her, turning towards the one who she SHOULD fear the most ...
1. The Forbidden Forest

**Disclaimer: None of it is mine. Obviously.**

**A/N: Okay, I feel it is my duty to inform you that this fic will have it's "M-Rated" moments. Feel warned, there is sexual content, including rape, in here. If you don't like it, don't feel comfortable with it, don't feel like you can handle it, then leave now. Don't blame me if you start crying and saying "Why didn't she tell me!". Well, I did. You've been warned. Otherwise, enjoy the story!**

Chapter 1

_The Forbidden Forest_

_The library was dark … too dark for comfort. _

_I sat alone at a table towards the back of the room, though it didn't really matter where I sat. There was no one around for me to be bothered by._

_Madam Pince had left early tonight; lucky for me, she trusted me enough to be left in the library alone. From what she had told me, she locked the doors, only to ensure my safety. She left me with a clear warning as well._

"_Hermione, If you let anyone else in, I will know; and there _will_ be severe consequences." _

_I don't have to worry. I only need the books for an hour or so; Professor Snape had set an incredibly difficult essay that required much research, some of which I had to explore the Restricted Section for. Poor Ron and Harry … they're going to feel sorry for not coming with me to research when they had the chance. Snape won't be too pleased with their lack of effort. _

_Suddenly, I heard a noise. I jumped. I turned my head quickly, but nothing was there. Shelf after shelf of books lay before me, each sheltered from my eyes. I tilted my chair back a little so I could see down the aisle; still, there was nothing. _

_What was that noise? It sounded like a scurry, as though something had moved. _

_I shrugged it off. It was probably just a rat … Hogwarts was full of them in the most unexpected places. I chuckled to myself. How could I worry about a rat with twelve inches of blank parchment sprawled out before me? _

_I turned back to my work, picking up a quill to start the introduction. _

"_Why is powered moonstone such a key ingredient when making the Draught of Peace potion?" I read aloud. It always seemed that if you read aloud, the words would travel to your brain quicker and allow you to comprehend the concept with more ease._

_I suddenly remembered that I'd read something in _Magical Drafts and Potions, _by Arsenius Jigger. Something about powered moonstones. I quickly searched through the huge pile of books on the table in front of me; books that I thought would be helpful. And, lo and behold, _Magical Drafts and Potions _were among them. I skimmed through the pages until I found what I wanted: powdered moonstones._

"_Ah ha!" I cried triumphantly. Sure enough, the uses of the ingredient were listed, and, fortunately for me, the Draught of Peace potion was used as an example. I grinned as I began to write, feeling satisfied that I'd found the answer. _

CRASH!

_I screamed; a small scream. Clutching my heart, I stood up. The quill dropped from my hand. It hit the floor, but the thud sounded distant. The sound of the crash still rang through my ears. What was that?_

_I cleared my throat. My heart raced. _

"_Who's there?" I called out. I didn't realize it, but my hands were trembling. _

_Silence was the only answer that came to me._

_I didn't like this one bit. Was it Peeves? Peeves doesn't usually break things and not say anything, though. No, he prefers to take credit for his destructiveness. Was it another ghost? Maybe. But I knew one thing for sure; I didn't want to stay to find out. _

_Quickly, I gathered my things together, not even bothering to return the books that I had been leafing through. _

_Suddenly a black figure passed behind me, swift as a bolt of lightning. I only saw it out of the corner of my eye, but I swear it was there. I turned quickly, dropping everything in my hands to the ground. Once again, there was nothing to be seen. That shadow had not been a ghost though, that was certain. _

_A student. It had to be a student. Who cares if the door to the library was locked? A simple Allohamora charm and anyone wishing entrance would be granted it. _

"_Harry." I called out timidly. I gripped the edge of the table with both hands as I peered down the aisle leading to the exit. "Ron. This isn't funny!" _

_No reply. It couldn't be Harry and Ron. Sure, they were childish, and they could be immature at times, but they would never pull such a cruel prank. _

_Forget my things. I was getting out of there. I began walking down the passageway, towards the exit. But the closer I got, the more dread began to surpass me. I quickened my pace; soon enough, I was running. Once I hit the door, I turned the handle; it was unlocked. Terrified, I pulled the door open and stepped out of the library, not even bothering to close it behind me. I didn't stop running, either. I ran, ran down the Charms corridor, down three flights of stairs, through the Main Corridor on the first floor, and across the Entrance Hall. I passed no one. Glancing up at the clock above the House Points, I saw that it was ten o' clock. Way past curfew. _

_I clutched my heart; it was pounding. The mixture of fear and running created a painful adrenaline that flowed through my body, chilling me to the bone. I rested against a wall, right beside the double doors that led into the Great Hall. _

_It was over. I was fine. Whatever it was in the library, I had escaped from it. Calm down Hermione. _

_I took a deep breath; I still had an essay to write for Snape. I was wasting time when I already had little to spare._

_Composing myself, I stood up straight. I would report the occurrence in the library to Professor McGonagall in the morning. It was the best I could do._

_As I turned towards the Main Staircase, I screamed. The scream filled the entire Entrance Hall, ringing off the walls. A shadow stood several feet away from me; I could not make out the face. _

_It lifted its arm; a wand was distinguishable in its hand. _

_Quickly, I dropped to the floor._

"_STUPEFY!" The figure shouted in a deep, terrifying voice. _

_A beam of red light passed swiftly over my head. I could almost feel the spell's power as it nearly hit me. _

_I looked up. The silhouette began advancing towards me with large, rapid steps. I had no time to panic; without thinking, I arose from the tiled floor and raced towards the main doors without a single look back._

"_Dissendium!" I cried as I approached the doors, my wand aimed directly at them. They burst open, allowing me to emerge out into the Hogwarts grounds. _

_Outside was my only choice. If I had ran anywhere in the castle, the person would have gotten me. _

_Hagrid's! Go to Hagrid's!_

_I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. When I thought I could spare a glance backwards, I did; the figure was still pursuing me. He was quick. With every step I took, it seemed as though he took twice that amount. He did not have his wand out, though. Why wasn't he hexing me? _

_Hagrid's cabin came into view. The figure was still some ways behind me. Not much, but enough for me to reach the cabin. _

_My heart pounded as I ascended the stone steps to his front door. I bashed the wooden door nonstop with my fist._

"_HAGRID!" I screamed. My heart felt compressed. The attacker was closing in on me. "HAGRID!" _

_I glanced at the window. There was no sign of a light. Hagrid was not there. _

_I looked back. He was closer; much, much closer. I began to panic. I had to run._

_I descended the steps and hastened towards the Forbidden Forest. It was my only chance of escape. _

_Soon enough, my legs began to feel weak; they were dying on me. I could not run much further. I had only one choice. Turn and fight. _

_I stopped abruptly. My heart was pounding like a drummer with no mercy. But I stopped. I turned, ready to fight –_

"_EXPELLIARMUS!" The figure bellowed. _

_My wand flew out of my hand, landing some place a few feet away. My heart stopped. I was weaponless; I was defenseless. My eyes widened with fear as my pursuer stopped running. In fact, he stopped moving all together. He stood there, only a few feet away, with a victorious stance. I felt helpless. So much terror flowed through my body that it probably could've replaced my blood. _

_He began to walk towards me. Slowly. _

_RUN HERMIONE! RUN!_

_But I couldn't. My mind told my body to move, but my body did not oblige. My mind panicked. Was I under a spell? Was I in shock? I didn't know. But with each passing moment that my mind used to think, he slowly inched closer to me; I could see that he was wearing a black hooded cloak. _

_Soon enough I could see his face. Rays of moonlight shone upon it through the rooftops of the trees. But it was masked. A skeletal, sinister mask concealed his features, making him unidentifiable. His mouth could still be seen, though. And it was grinning. A wicked, malicious grin, but a grin nonetheless. _

"_What do you want from me?" I whispered as he now stood only inches away from me._

_His grin escalated. _

_Before I knew what had happened, he rammed me against the nearest tree. His arms reached for my blouse in a quick flash and tore the buttons off ruthlessly. _

_I gasped. I went to kick him, but my leg would not let me. I was under a spell. _

_What was he doing to me?_

_His hands pushed the unbuttoned blouse off of my shoulders, revealing a simple black bra. _

_I went to scream. But my voice would not let me. _

_Why was he doing this to me? _

_His hands reached for my skirt. My Hogwarts skirt; such a symbol of innocence and intellect. He pulled it up. _

_Why couldn't I hit him? Why couldn't I run? Why couldn't I scream? _

_He did not waste any time; he reached up my skirt, feeling for the plain black underwear that I happened to be wearing. He pulled them down. _

_I felt so naked. So revealed. So … violated. _

_LET ME GO! I wanted to scream. I wanted to cast the most foul spell on him that I could. But I couldn't._

_Why was he doing this to me?_

_Without so much as a warning, he thrust himself into to me. I didn't even see him undo his pants. My mouth opened to release a scream that would represent the pain emitting through my lower regions; but it wouldn't let me. A single tear dripped down my cheek. _

_His palms were placed firmly against the tree on either side of me. His face was only a couple of inches away from mine. His mouth hung open as he pulled out of me, then immediately pushed back inside. My skirt concealed what was happening from my eyes, but I did not want to see. I just wanted it to be over with._

_After what felt like endless hours of torture, he pulled out of me, for what seemed like for good. I knew it wasn't over. His mouth still curved into a smile, surrounded by little beads of sweat. He pushed me to the ground. My eyes were almost level with his penis; it was erected, hard and firm, which disgusted me to the bones. He grabbed my head harshly and thrust it towards his pelvis, forcing his penis into my mouth. He moved in and out only a little bit, so that my mouth would give him that sucking sensation that he so desperately desired. _

_I cried. I wanted to vomit. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, praying that this nightmare would end._

_Soon enough, he ejaculated into my mouth. I managed to pull my head away and spit, vomiting immediately afterwards. _

_His hand clutched firmly around my neck, pulling me off the ground and smashing my back once more against the tree. Again, he plunged himself into me, causing me to silently scream once more. His hands hastily reached for my bra and pulled it down, revealing my breasts. His hands grasped them harshly and began to squeeze. _

_There I was, in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. Being raped. _

_Finally, _finally, _after eternal minutes of agony, my attacker pulled away from me. He calmly did up his pants without looking at me. Tears were streaming down my face. I realized that my hands could now move. So could my feet. It was as though he was daring me to make a move. Attack him, perhaps. Scream. I couldn't. _

_He punched me._

_I gasped through my tears._

_He turned and left, heading for the castle. _

_My arms shook as they slid across my chest, covering up the revealing area. I slid down the tree, sitting on the hard ground. My heart was racing. Aching. The tears were overwhelming. The pain inside of me was unbearable. My eye throbbed as it slowly blackened from his punch. And yet, I did not scream. I still felt as though I couldn't._

_Why did he do it to me?_


	2. An Unforeseen Reaction

Chapter 2

_An Unforeseen Reaction_

_TAP! TAP!_

The room was silent. Except, of course, for the exceedingly irritating tapping on the window. Hermione, who had been sleeping soundly in her bed, slowly reached for a pillow and wrapped it around her head as a sound barrier.

_TAP! TAP! TAP!_

Clutching the pillow with a firmer grip, she forced it as close to her ears as possible, causing her face to be rammed into the mattress.

_TAP! TAP!_

"Argh!" She cried, tossing the useless pillow aside. "What do want?"

Hovering at the window was a beautiful snowy white owl; Hedwig, if Hermione's eyes were not deceiving her. But what did she want?

Hermione groggily got out of bed, slipping into a pair of red slippers and throwing on a matching red robe before crossing the girls' dormitory to the window. She pushed the window open, allowing Hedwig to soar inside and land cleanly on the nearest bedside table.

"What's so important that you had to wake me?" Hermione demanded angrily as she untied a scroll of parchment from Hedwig's leg. She gnawed affectionately at Hermione's finger as the parchment was released, but Hermione was too annoyed to recognize the affection. Instead, she hastily unrolled the letter and read it before carelessly tossing it aside.

_Hermione,_

_Where are you? We know you were sick yesterday, but we figured you'd be feeling better by today. Why aren't you in class again? Ron and I are going to stop by the common room during lunch to see if you're alright. And in case your wondering, Hedwig was at the window during History of Magic with a letter for me from Lupin, so that's how I managed to get this letter to you. Just in case you were wondering. See you in an hour or so. _

_With love,_

_Harry and Ron_

Hermione fell onto her bed and dropped her head in her hands, then looked down at the crumpled letter that was now just a dirty heap on the clean floor. If only she could tell them. If only Harry and Ron could know …

Of course she wasn't sick the day before. Of course she wasn't sick now. Well, not physically sick. Mentally sick was another story. It was only two days since she had been raped in the Forbidden Forest, but to her it felt like a century. A long, grueling, miserable century that no decent female should ever have to endure. Every second of every day, the only image in Hermione's mind had been that of that night. The shadow in the library … being chased through the school … being cornered in the Forbidden Forest … being brutally raped against a tree … it had been less than 48 hours since the callous attack had occurred, and Hermione had done nothing since. Absolutely nothing. The entire evening was a blur to her, yet the ruthlessness stood out so vividly in her mind. She had been raped. And by who? She couldn't say. Someone cruel. Someone heartless.

For what felt like the thousandth time in two days, Hermione's eyes began to fill with tears. She felt so … helpless. How could she have let something like that happen to her? She was a witch! A powerful witch, nonetheless! Why couldn't she handle the situation? Why did she just cower before such a vindictive being without so much as a defense?

The night of the attack, she had dragged herself back to the Gryffindor Tower as though nothing had happened. Everyone was asleep, of course; Parvati and Lavender had looked so peaceful as they slept. Hermione had felt nothing. Her insides felt empty. She had changed to sleeping attire without a sound and crawled into bed, then shut her eyes in hopes that she would awake only to realize that it had all been a nightmare. That, of course, did not happen. She had awoken the next morning with the only difference from the previous night being the sunlight shining harshly through the window. She had not gone to class, nor did she care if any of the professors inquired as to her whereabouts. She had lied to Harry and Ron, using the 'ill excuse' to remain in bed all day. She hadn't eaten, she hadn't emerged from the dormitory; Parvati and Lavender steered clear of it only until light's out because they were afraid of catching the sickness. That gave her the entire day to reminisce about what had happened, and it was driving her mad. It was like a sink dripping one drop of water every three seconds, but she could not shut it off; the memories drove themselves to the front of her mind, flashing sharp gruesome images of the sexual attack.

Hermione arose from the bed, then reached down for the letter and tore it up into tiny pieces. She could not bring herself to speaking to Harry and Ron, whether it be about the incident or a simple Charms essay. She did not want to be in the common room when they returned for lunch, that was certain. So, she brushed her teeth, carelessly threw on clean school robes, hastily ran a brush through her bushy brown hair, and slipped into a pair of black shoes before leaving the empty dormitory. From there, she did not know what to do. Classes were taking place, so the corridors were eerily empty. Filch crossed her mind for a brief moment; what if he appeared out of nowhere? But as that moment passed, she realized she didn't care. So, she continued to walk, going wherever her feet took her.

Soon enough, she found herself to be in a dark, deserted corridor, without any recognition of making her way there in the first place. Torches were not lit, and the passageway looked forbidding and unwelcoming. It did not take her long to realize that she shouldn't be there. She turned, preparing to journey to perhaps the Owlry, or –

_CRASH!_

A sudden collision and a pair of strong hands grabbing her arms caused Hermione to scream with terror.

"Shut up, Granger!" A voice hissed angrily. The hands grasping her removed themselves immediately. Looking up, she could clearly see Draco Malfoy's handsome, foreboding face contorted into a look of irritation.

"Why did you grab me!" Hermione demanded furiously. Her entire body shook with fear.

"Because you turned around and banged into me!" Malfoy replied. "Why are you screaming and talking so damn loud?"

"Because you snuck up on me!" Hermione retorted. "What the hell are you doing wandering the corridors during lessons?"

"Well, I'm skiving off class." Malfoy answered carelessly. "Now, I could ask _you _the same question."

"It's none of your fucking business, that's why." Hermione spat.

Malfoy grimaced mockingly. "Now now Granger, such foul language coming from such a well-respected role model of Hogwarts. You wouldn't want McGonagall overhearing that tongue, would you?"

"I don't care." Hermione muttered under her breath.

Malfoy looked at her skeptically for a few moments. She returned his stare with blazing eyes of defiance. "Why _are _you out of class?" He asked suspiciously. "Bad language and skiving off lessons. Something must be wrong."

"Why do you care?" Hermione shot back, crossing her arms across her chest.

Malfoy snorted. "About a filthy little muggleborn? I don't. I just want to know so I can imagine the bullshit that you're going to feed McGonagall once she catches you."

Hermione shook her head. "You're a heartless bastard, you know that?"

"And you're a disgusting mudblood. Did you know that?" Malfoy retaliated. "Why don't you spare us all your existence and crawl off into the Forbidden Forest and let the monsters in there eat you up?"

The Forbidden Forest. A sudden flash jerked Hermione's mind like a fish latching onto bait; being slammed against a tree, clothes torn off, someone brutally thrusting into her …

Hermione suddenly lost her balance and fell over onto the cold stone floor. Tears began to slide uncontrollably down her cheeks; she pulled her legs towards herself and buried her face into her knees.

Malfoy stood glued to the spot, shocked at her reaction. Why was she crying?

"Granger … what the hell?" He managed to say.

"Just go away." She whispered through tears. She felt weak and childish breaking down in front of her enemy. She wished he wasn't there; she wished _she _was anywhere _but _there.

Malfoy just stared at her. He couldn't understand it. He'd said loads of things to her that had been much worse in the past; why was she crying now?

"Let's go." He finally said.

Hermione looked up at him, her cheeks blotchily patched with tears which continued to cascade down her face. She shivered uncontrollably, but could not help but feel shocked at his unexpected statement. "Wh – what?" She asked through trembling lips.

"You heard me. Let's go." He repeated.

"To – to where?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"To my common room." Malfoy answered. "The Slytherin dungeons."

To her own astonishment, Hermione considered it. Her first thought was no. Hell no, actually. But when it came down to it, she had nowhere else to go. Harry and Ron would be at the Gryffindor tower soon to check in on her, so she couldn't go there. And if she continued to wander the corridors, then a professor was bound to discover her and her ill excuse would be useless.

She nodded.

He offered a hand to help her up from the floor, and she took it. Without a word, they walked silently to the dungeons, thankfully not coming across anyone except Mrs Norris and a soundless ghost.

Malfoy uttered the password to the tapestry ("mudblood") without any worry to Hermione's presence, then crawled through the rather large hole that the tapestry revealed, Hermione following close behind.

They emerged into the fortunately empty common room, and Hermione's eyes were attacked by an invasion of green. Everything was green, from the pine green sofas down to the tropical green Kleenex box resting on the wooden green side table. Snakes decorated the common room, bordering the doors and windows in a beautifully crafted pattern. Hermione did not take the small details into consideration, though; instead she immediately threw herself onto the nearest sofa, burying her head into the armrest. She had stopped crying, but she still felt repulsed inside, that same repulsion that she had felt every since being dirtied by that cold, heartless, evil piece of –

"Why did you agree to come?" Malfoy finally asked. He stood near the entrance awkwardly; he had been wanting to ask that question the entire walk to the common room, but he had refrained. Curiosity made it difficult for him, though.

"Because Harry and Ron are going to the Gryffindor common room for lunch to check up on me and I don't want to be there." Hermione shot back defensively. She glared at him, as though daring him to ask why she had been crying.

All he could do was look at her. For seven years now, she had been the Gryffindor mudblood; little miss perfect. Perfect marks, perfect attitude, a high level of respect from all those around her; she always seemed to hold a source of power in her palm that Draco had envied since the first day of Hogwarts. But now, now she appeared helpless and frail. If it had been anybody else, Malfoy would have glared at them with disgust and thought they were weak and pathetic. But for some reason, his thoughts were as far from that as possible; Granger always wore a resolute façade, whether she was angry, upset, thrilled, or insulted, she never showed her true colors to any Slytherin. As much as he hated to admit it, that was one of the few things that he admired about the muggleborn. Witnessing her so distressed must've meant that something terrible had happened to her, and seeing her cry, Draco felt some sort of pity, though he loathed himself for it.

After several moments of silence, Malfoy finally said, "I can't guarantee you that I'll fully listen or even care, but if you want to talk, you can."

Hermione lifted her head from its spot on the armrest and looked at Malfoy. He looked so awkward in his own common room, and it was so obvious that he felt somewhat sympathetic. But he was actually making an attempt with her, which was by far the most shocking event of the day.

"Don't pity me, Malfoy." Hermione finally said.

"Pity?" Malfoy smirked. "Far from it. The silence is bothering me, that's all."

"Well, I don't want to talk about it, so drop it." Hermione snapped.

Malfoy put his hands in the air as if to say 'Whoa, calm down'. "Fine, whatever. I don't want to listen to it."

"Fine!" Hermione exclaimed before throwing her face back into the couch.

Malfoy furiously picked up a cushion and tossed it at Hermione. _Stupid mudblood. I try to help, and she makes me look like a fool!_

Hermione lifted her head immediately. She gaped at the cushion, then switched stares to Malfoy. Her jaw was dropped in disbelief. "Did you just throw a pillow at me?"

"So what if I did?" Malfoy retorted stubbornly.

He turned to walk towards his dormitory, fed up with this mudblood nonsense. However, as he turned his back, a cushion hit him square in the head. He quickly turned back around to see Hermione standing defiantly with another cushion in hand.

"You did not just hit a Malfoy." He exclaimed, immediately reaching for the cushion that had just been thrown at him.

As he bent over to retrieve it, Hermione raced towards him and continuously thumped him over his hunched back with her cushion. He hastily glared up at her with a look of astonishment before lifting his cushion from the floor and speedily whacking the back of her legs with it. Soon enough, a full-blown pillow fight began, with relentless hits to the head and ruthless whacks to the midsection. After countless beatings against each other, Hermione stood at one end of the room with her cushion raised while Malfoy stood at the other end with his. Both glared at each other, as though daring the other to attack.

Finally, Hermione lowered her cushion. "This is silly." She said; instead, she withdrew her wand from her robes and cast a spell directly at Malfoy's cushion, causing it to transfigure into an adorable little kitten.

He stared at it, first with shock, then with disgust. He held it at arms length as though it were going to attack him at any moment.

"It's a kitten." Hermione said. "It won't bite."

"It looks like its contemplating assassination." Malfoy replied, staring at it with repugnant suspicion.

Hermione giggled, despite herself. She pointed her wand at the kitten and cast the spell that set it back to its original state.

"I should be going." Hermione said, infuriated with herself for laughing at anything that Draco Malfoy had to say. "Harry and Ron have probably left by now."

"Are you going to lessons for the afternoon?" Malfoy asked, making sure to use a tone that suggested he could care less about her response.

Hermione thought about it. Somehow, incredulously, she felt slightly better than she had felt for the past two days. She looked at Malfoy, stunned that he had been the cause of it. "Maybe I will." She answered. She wasn't sure whether she should thank him for his hospitality; she did not have the stomach to do it though. So, she turned towards the exit, prepared to leave.

"Hey, Granger?" Malfoy called.

She turned back around.

"Nice transfiguration."

Without replying, she turned and crawled out of the entrance with a tiny smile on her gloomy face; a smile that she truly believed she would never feel again.

* * *

**A/N: Hello esteemed readers. How are you liking the story so far?  
Please review, I adore your thoughts :) **

**Six days til Christmas (for those of you who celebrate)!  
Merry Early Christmas!**

**Jessica (JJLove28)**


	3. Detention With Snape

Chapter 3

_Detention With Snape_

Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room. Thankful to find it empty, she headed to the girls' lavatory. At first glance in the mirror, she noticed a purple bruise around her eye. Her jaw dropped. She hadn't bothered to look a mirror since the incident in the Forbidden Forest. Sure, her eye had been relatively sensitive since then and in a small amount of pain, but she had no idea that there was an actual bruise left! Had Malfoy noticed?

She quickly pulled out a kit of makeup from under the sink; either Parvati's or Lavender's. She found a compact foundation and began applying its contents to her eye, wincing in pain at the simplest touch. She groaned; it didn't seem to be making much of a difference. She thought of using a spell to heal it, but she did not know of one and she did not want to risk a spell that would harm herself.

_I suppose I just have to say I fell or something, _she resorted, glaring angrily at her eye in the mirror. She loathed the bruise, and she loathed the reason for its existence. It shouldn't even be there; it should've been prevented. Suddenly, it dawned on her that her attacker was more than likely residing in the school. He could be in any one of her classes, he could be eating supper a few seats away from her in the Great Hall, he could be watching her from the dormitory window …

Hermione shuddered, then crossed her arms and rubbed her hand furiously up and down one of them, as though she were trying to warm herself up.

There was one thing that she became conscious of, though; she could not stay locked up in the dormitory forever. Sooner or later, someone would realize that there was something wrong with her other than illness, and she would have no legitimate excuse for her behavior. Sooner or later, she had to face the world. She had done fine with Malfoy, hadn't she? Surely she could handle everyone else.

So, she fixed herself up a bit before gathering her books together and leaving the common room. Double Potions with Snape was on the timetable for the afternoon, and she would face it like the tough witch that she was. Lunch was ending and the corridors began to fill with students chatting away as though they had no care or worry in the world. Hermione's entire body felt tingly; it seemed as though every boy was staring at her … every boy wanted to grab her … every boy wanted to attack her …

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then walked at a quicker pace with her head down through the corridor, down several flights of stairs, and through the dungeon passageways until she reached the Potions classroom. Already waiting there was Harry and Ron, speaking what looked like a serious conversation with one another. Hermione took a deep breath and walked towards them, preparing herself for their various questions.

Sure enough, the moment they both noticed her, they cried, "Where have you been!"

"I was in the library." She answered immediately.

"Why weren't you in lessons this morning?" Ron demanded.

"I wasn't feeling very well earlier this morning, but I began to feel better later on so I went to the library and read until class began." Hermione replied, sounding too much like she'd rehearsed it. Harry and Ron did not seem to notice, though.

"And how are you feeling now?" Harry asked.

"Much better." Hermione lied.

"What in bloody hell happened to your eye?" Ron exclaimed, obviously noticing her bruised eye.

"I … er … fell out of bed last night." She lied again. "Hit my eye on the bedside table."

"Ouch." Harry and Ron said in unison.

"Does it hurt?" Harry asked.

"Not much anymore." Hermione replied. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

At that moment, Snape arrived, unlocking the classroom and allowing the students to file in after him. Hermione, Harry and Ron took their usual seats towards the back of the classroom, as far away from Snape as possible.

Hermione noticed Malfoy's empty seat, but paid no further attention to it while pulling out the necessary supplies for that day's lesson.

"Miss Granger," Snape called from the front of the classroom. "Absent in all of yesterday's classes, as well as all of your morning classes. Why?"

Hermione did not bother to wonder how he could have known that. Instead, she glanced at his cold, menacing eyes; she felt as though they were drilling into the back of her mind, attempting to uncover some sort of dirt that he could use against her.

"I was ill, sir." Hermione answered. "But you don't have to worry, I'm better now."

Harry and Ron snickered beside her, and Snape glared at her with utter dislike.

"You did not inform your Head of House of your illness, therefore you did not have an authorized excuse to be absent from class. Twenty points from Gryffindor and a detention with me after class."

Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief, but before she could open her mouth to argue this inequitable act, Snape began his lesson.

"Now, the Aging Potion is not exactly the most complicated potion to brew, but its effect can be dire if the outcome is unsuccessful–"

The entire class shifted their attention from Snape to the entrance of the classroom as the door opened, revealing Malfoy sauntering into class. Snape glared at him with annoyance. "Mr Malfoy, nice to see that you decided to join us."

"Yes, I seemed to find time in my busy agenda to schedule you in." Malfoy retorted derisively.

"Do not take tardiness lightly, Mr Malfoy; I certainly do not. Five points off of Slytherin, plus another five if you cannot explicate your unexplained absences from your lessons this morning."

While the other Gryffindors whispered angrily amongst themselves about Hermione having twenty points taken and Malfoy only having five, Harry and Ron glanced at Hermione, obviously finding it odd that both she and Malfoy were absent at the same time. She shook her head quickly though, indicating that it was pure coincidence.

"Well, I actually put a bit of thought into which lame excuse I would use for today," Malfoy began. "But halfway through deciding, I got tired of thinking. So I'm just going to stick with the classic 'my owl ate my homework'."

"We are not discussing your homework habits, Mr Malfoy," Snape said through gritted teeth. "We are discussing your tardiness."

"Yes, well I couldn't think of an excuse for that." Malfoy replied.

The class rang with snickering from every student, including Gryffindors. Every student except for Hermione, that is. She could not understand his cold attitude towards Snape. Were they not on friendly terms? Did Snape not favor Malfoy in an unjustly preferable way? Did Malfoy not bask in this reverence? What was going on?

"If that is the best you can come up with, then I shall be forced to take twenty five points from Slytherin, as well as extend you an invitation to detention." Snape said icily. "Now sit down Malfoy."

Malfoy smirked insolently at Snape before taking his seat towards the front of the class with his fellow Slytherins; Blaise Zabini, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Pansy Parkinson, and Cordelia Bertrum. Cordelia was new to Hogwarts; she had transferred from Durmstrang for her seventh and final year. Her story was now well-known around the school; she had been chosen at the age of five by Edmund and Ursula Bertrum and Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy to be the future wife of Draco Malfoy. Their marriage had been arranged for twelve years, and the date had been officially set to take place a week after Malfoy and Cordelia graduate from school. Cordelia had been sent to Hogwarts for her final year so that she could get acquainted with her future husband before finally being wed to him. From what everyone could see, they were made for each other. Cordelia was beautiful, with long blond hair flowing down her back and shining green eyes that matched the likes of Harry's. Her figure was that of every girl's envy, and her dazzling smile could charm even the most vigilant of the crowd. And yet, Hermione could see right through her charming, alluring exterior. Hermione saw the way she pushed around first years; the way she sweet-talked every boy that crossed her path to do any little favor for her that she was completely capable of doing herself. And, most of all, the way she treated every non-Slytherin that got in her way. She never hesitated to use harsh words or physical acts, or to use her wand against the third year that fell into her or the fifth year who spoke too loudly in her presence. She was such a female replica of Draco Malfoy that it would not have surprised Hermione in the least if a DNA test had proven her to be his sibling.

Luckily for Hermione, she had not been forced to cross paths with this devil in disguise. Cordelia had thrown nasty comments at Ginny and vindictive insults at Harry and Ron, but never once had she even spared Hermione so much as a glance. Hermione found this somewhat odd seeing as she always seemed to be the center of Malfoy's verbal attacks, what with his continual mudblood insults and endless goody-two-shoes taunts. She did not give it more thought than necessary, though. So what if the new girl hadn't acknowledged her? The less contact with the enemy, the better.

For the remainder of the double lesson, the students learned how to brew a perfect Aging Potion without any of the common mistakes. This ended in a few laughs when Neville, who had confused ginger roots for crushed lionfish spine, tested his potion and reverted to an eight month old baby.

Once the bell rang, students gathered their ingredients and books together and filed out of the classroom.

"Where do you think you're going, Mr Malfoy?" Snape called out as Malfoy headed out the door with his fellow Slytherins. "I believe you have a detention to serve with me."

"No thanks, I've got things to do now." Malfoy replied. "Perhaps another time."

"Malfoy, if you do not take a seat within the next five seconds, then I will be forced to transfigure you into a vast disgusting toad that will rival even your little ferret episode three years back." Snape barked heatedly. "Now _sit down._"

Though Malfoy knew that professors could not use Transfiguration as a punishment, the memory of the ferret incident still haunted his mind. So, he gave Cordelia a quick kiss good-bye, then returned to his original seat and took to glaring menacingly at Snape.

Hermione had not risen from her seat since the bell rang. Harry and Ron had looked sympathetic as they said their good-byes and left the classroom, and Hermione watched them longingly, wishing she did not have to bear the agony that she was about to endure.

"Miss Granger, move to the front of the classroom." Snape ordered. He watched her like a hawk as she gathered her things together and silently made her way through the desks until she sat down at an empty one only three seats away from Malfoy.

"You both know why you are here," Snape began, with a somewhat evil grin on his pale, sullen face. "I have not given the events of this detention much thought, but I believe I have the perfect … er … _chore, _for the two of you to do –"

"Professor Snape?"

Hermione turned to see Colin Creevey's head sticking through the door; he paid no attention to Hermione or Malfoy.

"What is it?" Snape demanded irritably.

"It's your office, sir," Colin began. "It seems to have been broken into. Professor McGonagall sent me to inform you."

Snape immediately shot Hermione a sinister glare, as though it were she or any one of her friends who had done it. It was no surprise that he suspected her, of course; after all, she had been the one to steal ingredients for a Polyjuice Potion from his store cupboards only five years prior. He could not place blame though, for it had not been her who had done it this time.

"Wait here, the both of you." Snape spat at Hermione and Malfoy. "I will return shortly. If you leave, I shall know."

And with that, he swept out of the classroom behind Colin Creevey, leaving a very uncomfortable Hermione and Malfoy behind.

"I'm out of here." Malfoy said almost immediately, rising from his seat and heading towards the exit.

"Did you not hear him?" Hermione said in a tone that implied Malfoy's stupidity. "He'll know if you leave."

"Why does the mudblood care if I get into trouble or not?" Malfoy smirked.

"I don't!" Hermione exclaimed instantly. "I just don't want to have to take the fury that Snape will most likely let out on me once he discovers you've left."

Malfoy paused for a moment. "I'm sorry, are you under the impression that I care about what happens to you? I mean, if I weren't a coldhearted pureblood, then I could see how you would think that. But come on, who am I kidding? I couldn't give a rats tail about anything regarding a filthy little mudblood."

"And that's why you invited me to your common room earlier?" Hermione shot back.

"No," Malfoy replied calmly. "I invited you to my common room because I didn't want to be discovered in a corridor with _you_. Can you imagine how destroyed my reputation would be?"

Hermione stood, angered by his constant taunting and snide remarks. But as she stood, the torch from the wall behind Snape's desk seemed to cast a light upon Hermione's face, illuminating the bruise around her left eye. "Listen Malfoy, if you continue to-"

"What the hell happened to your eye?" Malfoy sudden asked, noticing the bruise for the first time. Had it been there before? Why hadn't he noticed it?

Hermione instantly stopped talking. She had completely forgotten about the bruise. "I … er … fell. Yesterday." She said lamely. She wanted to smack herself at her own stupidity. Somehow, she couldn't lie as easily to Malfoy as she could to Harry and Ron. Maybe it was because he was such an intimidating character, or maybe it was because he seemed about ten times more brilliant, but either way, her reasoning sounded far too much like it's true self; a lie.

"You fell?" Malfoy retorted skeptically. "You fell and got a huge bruise … around your eye?"

"Yes." Hermione answered defiantly.

"How did you fall?" Malfoy asked nosily.

Hermione threw him a fierce look. "I don't have to explain myself to you!" She cried.

"No, you don't." Malfoy agreed. He paused for a moment, then said, "How'd you fall?"

Hermione began to let out a groan of annoyance, but was interrupted by Argus Filch swaggering into the classroom, closely followed by Mrs Norris.

"What are _you _doing here?" Malfoy asked insolently.

Filch glared at him. "Don't give me that tongue, boy. Professor Snape's priorities have been diverted to a mishap regarding his office. He still wishes for the two of you little maggots to serve your detention now. So I've been sent to fetch you." He smiled wickedly. "That oaf Hagrid needs two bucketfuls of Flobberworms. He asked me to find them for him, but now that I have you worms, you can do it for me."

Hermione's stomach sank. Flobberworms. Where would they find Flobberworms? There was only one possible place in the vicinity. Just that once place. The one place that Hermione never wanted to be anywhere close to ever again.

"And where are we supposed to find them?" Malfoy asked impertinently, as though reading Hermione's mind.

Filch grinned nastily. "The Forbidden Forest."

* * *

**A/N: Uh oh, the Forbidden Forest. Hermione won't like that too much. God, someone needs to hit Filch. It's ironic that he's the one bossing them around, yet they're the ones who can actually use magic and turn _him _into a great nasty toad. Haha. Anyways, hope you enjoyed. Sorry for the lengthy updates. I'll try to update faster, I promise. I'm just swamped with work and the holidays and schoolwork and memorizing my lines for the school play, so it's difficult to update quickly. My apologies. **

**I really hope everyone had a  
wonderful holiday, and I hope  
you all have a great New Year too.  
Merry Christmas.**

**Jessica (JJLove28)**

**P.S. Please review!**


	4. Petrificus Totalus

Chapter 3

_Petrificus Totalus_

Hermione and Malfoy followed Filch out of the Potions classroom, down the dungeons corridor, and up into the Entrance Hall, where they crossed it and went through the main doors out into the grounds.

Hermione stared at the ground the entire journey, closing her eyes and trying to silently calm herself down. She hadn't been outside the castle once since it had happened, let alone to the Forbidden Forest itself. She could feel her body begin to shake as her mind constantly flashed back to that night, to running for her life, to feeling as though all life was being taken from her …

_SMACK!_

Hermione stumbled backwards a few steps, a look of shock taking over her pretty features as she realized she had just bumped into a halted Filch. Looking past him, she was suddenly face to face with the Forbidden Forest, only feet away from where it had happened. She shuddered, resisting the urge to cry.

"Here's your buckets," Filch spat, shoving a bucket into both Malfoy and Hermione's hands. He grinned maliciously and said, "Have fun", before turning and limping back towards the castle.

Hermione stood where she was, staring into the blackness of the Forest. Malfoy stood only a couple feet from her, staring at her.

"Well?" he said, expectantly.

Hermione did not look at him. It was as though the dark, eeriness of the Forest had, for the first time, caused fear to overtake her. "Well what?" she said, still staring into the forest.

"How did you fall?"

Hermione broke her concentration and instead turned to face Malfoy. "Can you let it go, please?! I fell getting out of bed!"

"I don't believe you." said Malfoy bluntly.

"I really don't give a damn if you believe me or not." retorted Hermione. "We have a job to do, and I'd prefer to get it done as quickly as possible so I'm not stuck with you for longer than necessary."

Bucket in hand, Hermione held her shoulders high as she took a step past the trees and into the Forest, her eyes glued to the floor, hoping to catch a sudden sight of a nest of Flobberworms without having to scan too large of an area.

"You won't find them in a clearing, you have to look on trees, or around the bases." said Malfoy.

Hermione looked at him with disbelief.

"What?" he said defensively. "I do listen to that oaf sometimes, you know."

"Hagrid is not an oaf!" retorted Hermione angrily.

"Said the Mudblood." muttered Malfoy.

It happened in the blink of an eye; Hermione withdrew her wand, aiming it directly at Malfoy, whose eyes opened wide as his hands raised partway into the air, showing his defenselessness.

A sudden power had risen in Hermione, a power that she had not had on the night of the incident. She could speak now, she could move, she could curse, she could curse Malfoy for all of the attacks he had made her and her friends endure over the years …

But, just as she had done two nights ago, she could not utter a curse; not because she was physically incapable, but because her wits warned her not to. She lowered her wand, staring fiercely into Malfoy's eyes. Malfoy took advantage of this moment of weakness, withdrawing his own wand and pointing it at Hermione's chest, whose arm rose in an instant, the tip of her wand only feet away from Malfoy's.

"I've called you Mudblood several times before and you've never let it bother you." said Malfoy. "It's always been your sidekicks, your devoted dimwits who jumped to your aid, while you foolishly hushed them as though it didn't bother you in the slightest. Why now, Granger? What's changed in you?"

"I will curse you, don't think I won't!" spat Hermione, her hand trembling with the anger that stole through her entire body.

Malfoy smirked. "If you had the guts to curse me, you would have done it by now."

"_Stup_-"

"_PETRIFICUS TOTALUS_!"

Hermione was too slow. Malfoy's spell hit her squarely in the chest, causing her arms and legs to bind together and her body to go rigid. She did not fall over, but instead stood as though rooted to the spot, unable to move even the smallest limb.

Malfoy grinned with triumph as he polished his wand with his robes.

Hermione, however, felt sick to her stomach. Her eyes widened as she realized her position, paralyzed, unable to move, just as she had been before. Her wide eyes stared at Malfoy, registered his glee at her compromising position, imagined the things that he could do to her, right now, with no one around to see and herself left once again completely defenseless …

Tears began to slide down her cheeks, gliding to the corners of her mouth where she could not wipe them away. Malfoy, who had been polishing his wand, looked up to relish his victory and instead caught sight of Hermione silently crying.

"Why in the devil's name are you crying?" he cried, flabbergasted. This was Hermione Granger, the smartest witch of their year! Surely the loss of one minor duel could not be _this _devastating?

Confused, Malfoy released her from her full body-bind. "You're bound to lose _sometimes, _you can't be perfect in everything you do. Would you like a redo? You will lose again, you _are _facing a Malfoy, but perhaps if the duel began fairly then you'd have no reason to whine-"

But still, Hermione continued to cry as she dropped to her knees, unable to look Malfoy in the eye. Her heart was pounding faster than usual and her breaths were becoming more rapid with each exhale, as images of her trauma flashed madly before her eyes.

Malfoy did not know what to do. He did not understand what was going on, but from the state of her, it seemed as though she was having a panic attack.

"It was just the body-bind curse, it wasn't an Unforgivable Curse!" cried Malfoy desperately. "If I'd known you were so weak, I would've called Parkinson on you to give you a fair battle!"

But his attempt at comforting words went unnoticed, as Hermione's attack seemed only to get worse. His initial thought was to leave her, leave her in the Woods, let her recover on her own. It was not his place to help her, to help a Mudblood, who looked so weak and pathetic, barely able to breath as she lay bent over on the ground …

But the sight of her stirred an emotion inside Malfoy that he had not foreseen; could it have been sympathy? Hermione Granger was the smartest witch of the year, not to mention the bravest and strongest by far. She had never faced a challenge that she could not conquer, which had always pained Malfoy to admit to, and angered him beyond belief. But now, she was crying, barely able to breath, and because of what? Petrificus Totalus? No, there had to be more to it. Cautiously, Malfoy approached her, crouching down in front of her.

"Granger?" he said, quietly. "Granger, stop that."

Hermione's hands covered her face as she lowered her head, breathing rough, harsh breaths into her hands. Malfoy took hold of her hands and pushed them away, taking her face roughly into his own hands and forcing her head and her eyes to look directly into his own.

"Granger, you are okay." he said, slowly and calmly, staring deep into her brown eyes without so much as a blink. "You're okay. You're fine. We're here, in the Forest, by ourselves. My wand is down, I'm not going to perform any more magic, and neither are you. We're both safe; at least, you are. Just relax, okay? Relax."

Hermione held Malfoy's gaze, saw the reassurance in his eyes, felt, somehow, protected by him, and soon enough her breathing slowed as her heart rate very slowly returned to normal. Her tears, however, did not stop immediately. She continued to shake with tears at the feeling of Malfoy's body-bind curse, at being paralyzed like she had been two nights prior. It was like claustrophobia; she could not stand being stripped of power, of freewill. To be defenseless was to submit herself to any horrors wishing to inflict themselves upon her, and the thought and feeling was terrifying.

It was only when the last tear fell from her eye that Malfoy released her face, then moved back a few feet so as to give Hermione her space.

"What was that about?" ask Malfoy, the moment he deemed it safe to question her without her being thrown into a fit again.

"I … I don't know." lied Hermione, wiping the last of her tears away before lifting herself up, picking up her bucket and searching the bases of trees for Flobberworms.

"You don't know?" replied Malfoy skeptically. "You just had a fit of some sort and you have no idea what caused it?"

"Yes, that's what I said." said Hermione, still shaking slightly. "And I don't wish to discuss it."

She tried desperately to close her mind to the night of her attack, to push the images out of her mind, to pretend as though she had only imagined them …

"You're lying to me." said Malfoy. "You've been acting strangely all day. First I catch you skiving off lessons, then you start crying like a child, then you agree to come to the Slytherin Dungeons, then you've suddenly got a black eye, and now you're crying again!"

"Crying like a child, was I?" retorted Hermione angrily. "Why would you bother with a child, then? Why offer to help me?"

"I told you, I didn't want to be seen with a Mudblood in the corridors, nor did I want to be caught by Filch and handed a weeks worth of detention!"

"Then why not leave me?" demanded Hermione. "Why take me to a place where we so easily could have been found together?"

To this, Malfoy seemed to have no words. He contemplated her question, trying to find a reasonable response, but none came to him.

"Perhaps you have a soft spot for _children_." said Hermione, glaring at him with contempt.

Malfoy studied her, trying to imagine what could have happened to her to make her act this way. Bitter, resentful, and, however much she tried to hide it, scared. Scared of something. Not scared of him, surely?

"Do I scare you, Granger?" he asked, looking her in the eyes.

Hermione let out a shrill laugh. "You? Scare _me? _Hardly! You have never scared me, Malfoy, never hurt me, never penetrated me with your words or your actions! You are beneath me, I will never see you as my equal and therefore will never cower to you like you so arrogantly believe that I should!"

"Then why did you just now?" said Malfoy quietly. "What was that?"

Hermione glared at him, feeling a hatred that she had never felt before. "That was nothing to do with you, don't be fooled into flattering yourself."

"Oh no, my flattery comes from successfully cursing you; you, the witch who thinks that she's impenetrable, who believes that no harm can come to her. And yet, look at you! Something must have happened, and at the first sign of defeat you show weakness to match the likes of a coward! You are not as great as you think you are, Granger. You are weak, you are frail, and you are foolish to try and convince yourself otherwise."

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but at that moment, Filch was limping towards them, grinning menacingly.

Malfoy smirked at her, victorious once more, as he turned and muttered "_Reducto_" towards the ground around the base of a thick tree, where the dirt blasted apart to reveal a nest of Flobberworms, crawling blindly on top of one another. Using a summoning charm, Malfoy magicked the Flobberworms into not only his bucket, but Hermione's as well.

"It's about time you maggots finished." spat Filch nastily as he arrived on the outskirts of the Forest. "I was beginning to think you were enjoying the task. Perhaps fetching another four bucketfuls would tickle your fancy?"

Malfoy laughed, though he found no humor in the suggestion. "I think not. There are your buckets, I suggest you bring them to Hagrid's now before he recognizes your incompetence and has you fired. We all know how close he is with Dumbledore."

Filch glared menacingly at Malfoy. "Don't you tell me how to do my job, you foul little ingrate! If I had my way, I'd have you hanging by your ankles and beating you with a wooden stick until I've knocked some respect into you-"

"The Flobberworms, Filch." reminded Malfoy as he headed towards the castle.

Filch released a string of nasty words as he picked up the buckets of Flobberworms and headed towards Hagrid's hut, muttering about the lack of respect that the students of Hogwarts seemed to show.

Hermione, not wanting to be left there alone, hurried her pace to catch up with Malfoy. They walked in silence towards the castle, their last words fresh in their minds, though the anger was slowly dying away.

"Had it been a real duel," said Hermione, breaking the silence as they approached the front doors, "You wouldn't have stood a chance."

Malfoy smirked. "Perhaps we'll put your theory to a test one day, Granger."

He pulled the doors to the Entrance Hall open and disappeared amongst the crowd of students, leaving Hermione feeling more alone than she had ever felt in her life.


End file.
